The Portland daily press., 1887-02-08
THE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
Listens to Lectures by Or. CrandaII
and Prof. Elder.

and Prof. Elder.
The Portland Teachers Association held
its monthly meeting last evening. DIR. Gran
dali delivered lecture on Scientific Temper
ance Instruction, which contained many val
| liable suggestions. DIR. Crandall said:
| My object in appearing before you tonight
| l. to speak In suggestive and praetica
manner regarding temperance instruction.
| To counteract as far as possible the rava
| ges Of intemperanee and to help insure the
salvation of the young. the law compelling
| temperance instruction in the public schools
was adopted. Its purpose is TO teach chill
dren practical temperance principles, and
| thus try to fit them to be useful, intelligent,
and temperate citizens In promotion Of this
| great and splendid scheme all the teachers in
| the State, about seven thousand in number,
are required, nay compelled, TO engage In
| the work OF teaching the two hundred thou
sand pupils under their care the useful and
practical truths Of temperance. 1t was con-
ceded when the law was passed. and time
has confirmed the belief, that no other per-
sons in the State could exert such peculiar
and powerful influence over the young as the
teachers. Indeed, II seems as If. in the
providence Of God. it was reserved for the
teachers to inculcate in the minds Of the
young the most useful lessons Of life at a
time when they are most receptive and res
ponsiye to human influence.
AS have already intimated, the purpose
Of the law requiring special temperance in
struction to be given by every teacher is to
save the young. The great object In view
is to Impiant In the mind of every child an
abiding, lifelong conviction OF right which
shall serve as a guide to all future conduct.
While ii Is true that the instruction author
lied to be given is called scientific temper
ance instruction, because special reference Is
to be made to facts elaborated by scientific
investigations into the action Of alcohol up
on the human system, yet, after all, the
great desideratum is temperance. III my In
depreciation Is correct, the intent Of the law,
the demand OF the citizens Of the State, was
not so much for scientific instruction as it
was that all children should be taught those
fundamental truths which would tend to
make them heaIthful, yirtuous and temper
ate citizens Therefore, 1t seems that the
principle underlying the statute. makes 1t
obligatory TO teach the children OF the pub
lie schools enough anatomy and physiology
10 afford them an idea OF the structure and
magnifcenee Of the human body, and then
holic liquors and narcotics are poisons, that
they injure the human system, that they de-
grade mind and character, and that they
cause directly and indirectly most OF the
poverty and crime in the world.
Now how shall this great work, thus inn
posed by law upon every teacher in the State
be performed in practical and suggestive
manner? 1t would seem as II the first thing
necessary is to cultivate the interest and at
tention of all the pupils. They should be
made to feel that the subject Of temperance
is at least as serious and important as any
other branch, and that they must master 1t
equally as we'll 1t will be impossible to
give such instruction TO any advantage If
pupils are allowed to be Indifferent, or If 1t
is given to them in careless, perfunct0ry,
and half-hearted manner. Teachers must
themselves be interested and must display
complete mastery of the subject II they
would awaken responsive sentiment In the
minds of their pupils. The attenti ion Of the
pupils having been thus gained and the i'm
portance Of the subject duly impressed, the
facts and language of the textbook are to be
impaired in accordance with the age and un-
derstanding Of the pupils. II Is expected In
the first place that each pupil will be taught
to a considerable extent the simple and plain
truths Of anatomy, physiology, and hygiene,
so as TO have better understanding OF the
peculiar action of alcoholic liquors upon the
various structures and organs OF the human
system. This branch 0f the instruction Is OF
tends TO afford knowledge of the structure
and mechanism Of the human system. and
conveys scme idea as TO how intoxicating
liquors cause degeneracy OF body, mind ana
character. Of course 1t will be difficult TO
teach any great amount OF anOtomy and
physiology TO the young pupils Of the four
lower primary classes. Especially VIII such
be the case where there Is q dearth, as in
our own schools of objects, pictures, and
charts for the purpose OF demonstrating the
framework and organs OF the body. But
children IN these lower departments can be
taught in various ways the plalnest facts of
anatomy and physiology, .and in addition
thereto given practical temperance talks or
stories calculated TO be interesting and in
structive and leave good impression.
AmOngchildren wh0 are older In the gram
mar schools much more can be done. and
every effort should be made TO give them
thorough strueti0n.regardlngt the entire sub
ject IL is to be borne In mind that the pu-
pills in this department are old enough to
learn practical anatomy, physiology, and
temperance and that the majority OF them
leave school at about the end Of this period
OF their school life. But whether 1t be in the
primary or grammar department, let the
teacher remember that THE purpose Of the
law and the work Is to promote temperance
by forming intelligent convictions in the
minds Of the Young. Let ii be remembered
also that with temperance, as with all things
else, everything depends upon the right
start, and hence the Importance Of good
foundation work which will tend to form the
basis Of a useful and temperate life. While
no one will claim for moment that temper
ance instructiOnis to be an infallible lre-
vention Of all juvenile depravity, 1t Is rea
sonable to expect that the majority OF chill
dren thus brought under its redeeming force
will show marked tendency to grow into
temperate and useful citizens.
1t is TO be regretted that the text book that
you are required to use Is about tour-htths
anatomy and physiology to one-tfth, or less,
temperance instruction. and the danger Is
that you will try to teach too mueh OF the
former and too little OF the latter: But Tor
tunately yOu are not required to follow your
textbook absolutely, and hence 1t Is allowa-
BILE TO impart from day 70 day muen useful
temperance instruction that IS not embodied
in one particular book. will 20 so far as to
say that it will be better to depend less upon
YOU text book and more upon yourselves.
Reforms were never accomplished by books
but by individual exeTtiOn and individual
principles. Indeed, no rules for teaching
temperance in the public schools have ever
been formulated by law, but, instead. the
teacher is allowed the widest discretion and
opportunity to employ all facts and methods,
either original or acquired, which VIII tend
to reach the minds Of the pupils in an effect
ual manner In order that you may acquire
full knowledge of the subject would urge
you to read, besides your regular text book
prepared by DR.. Wm. Thayer Smith, "Prac-
llttl VIZ III Lilt otnOol ANoOut, O9 4uiSrto
Bucklaw and Lewis, the Temperance
Teachings Of Science" by DR.. A. b. Palmer I;
''The Use and Abuse of Alcoholic Liquors in
Health and Disease" by DIR. Vm. b. Car
penter; and "Study of the Drink Question, -
by Axel Gustafson. These are inexpensive,
reliable and admirable works, and well
adapted to furnish unnecessary information.
A familiarity with such works would afford
abundance of facts, arguments, and illustra-
tiOns pertaining to anatomy, physiology and
temperance. In this way teachers can make
themselves as familiar with the subject as
they are with arithmetic and grammar, and
then can impart as much Of their knowledge
as their pupils are able to comprehend.
As third useful means of teaching the
principles Of temperance, your attention is
directed TO well selected literature having
special reference to the subject. At the
present time, thanks to the foresight and i'm
dustry Of the "Woman's Temperance
Union" vast amount of useful and instruc-
tive reading especially adapted to the young,
can be had almost for the asking. Books,
newspapers, pamphlets, tracts and pictures,
all full Of stories and illustrations, can be
procured for use in the school room, and se-
ieetions can be made of material applicable
to almost any age and grade. Reading mat
ter of this class can be used as supplementary
reading or language lessons, or i can be put
into the hands of the children for them to
learn and read for themselves. From such
,....-oal,T toooharQ oau obtaIn a vast amoupf oF